The Expiry Date on Friendship
by indiejunkiie
Summary: Hermione Granger has been friends with Ron and Harry for quite some time, they've been through almost everything together except for, of course their own troublesome love lives. Hermione is entangled in a love triangle of loving both Ron and Harry.
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Harry Potter this is has been made by the great mind of J.K. Rowling_

Note from the Author:

This was originally made for my friend as a birthday gift and I suppose it still is but I've be told to add it here (don't ask me why) So here we go! I hope everyone enjoys it because I feel it's going to get real confusing

* * *

><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

Love.

A word I find overrated, a word that has been tossed carelessly until it has lost all meaning. I don't know much about love but I do know that it's supposed to be something special, and therefore should be treated that way, where and when you really mean it.

Pre-Hogwarts, when I went to my muggle school that is, I experienced a lot of unfriendly scenes with other students. Scenes I dare to pronounce once more. These girls, much more older and heavy built, always seemed to target me during breaks and lunch time, that frightened me more than anything I was capable of. Those three girls hunted me down, and once they did, they laugh and mock me until I dared to sprint away but they always tug on my ponytail to drag me back painfully to my previous spot.

It happened almost all the years up to Hogwarts and I couldn't squeak a word to mum or dad, no.. they would do so much worse otherwise.

But what happened on this one day I believed was a simmering June 13th a boy, not so much taller or older than me, I believe he was around my age back then. He didn't seem to fit in, I remember that part very clearly, I suppose at that moment, he was just a bystander from a nearby school, he didn't wear the uniform I wore but rather a heavy grey top that spilled over his lean bony body as if made ten times bigger than him and beige baggy trousers that was tied rather too tightly around his tiny waist. I watched him stare blankly towards the four of us; me and the three senseless girls who were then fiddling with my hair again, twiddling it furiously in their sausage-fingered hands, cackling feverishly. He groped the metal fence as if trying to get a look closer, maybe his eye sight was bad?

The next moment went briskly in a blur, it was hard to even capture it in my mind an hour later after the incident. What happened was hysterically crazy, I felt mindless when I turned, turned and saw the three horrible girls unnaturally wobbling and flexing over one another from loss of balance. What I saw was as if they were made of jelly and had a minor bone problem as they hardly could fix a posture, twisting and turning and never able to stop, wobbling maddeningly. I couldn't help but felt a little pinch in my heart of shear gratefulness, the boy who was still at the fence smiled, not in a cruel, dark, menacing way but a helpless sort of friendly way, I returned the grin and had an afterthought that was - I don't know how to this very day, determined to think he was the one that did it. Now, obviously I now know what made those girls look inhuman; Magic. But the boy still remains a mystery. And I feel stupid to feel, that the boy who saved the remainder part of my muggle school years was truly my first love, what more, love at first sight.


	2. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Harry Potter this is has been made by the great mind of J.K. Rowling_

Note from the Author:

Haha, wow this is meant to be long but not sure how it looks like on this site so fingers crossed it's not too short.

I'm not use to doing 3rd person narrative because I prefer being more subjective with the main characters so the readers can relate but it's more flexible for this story so I have no choice.

I do, in fact have another user on this site but I've abandoned it because the stories there are beyond repair and so forth.

I would be most happy if I get reviews and I WILL write more if that's the case :)

Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

'_**The only subject I have no knowledge of is love'**_

Hermione Jean Granger, was perched upon her windowsill reading her new Potions book casually, which was still polished navy blue with pages in fit state despite the careless flickering from the owner countless times over the summer holidays.

The sky was creeping to a dark washed up gradient of greys and black, as Hermione hefted a sigh and clasped the book shut. Pondering the final words of the book as if the thoughts of studying wanted to cling on a little while longer. No, Hermione thought, enough is enough, She knew all too well that studying all through the day and the evening wouldn't help soak in the information without a clear long break in the middle of it. So, with that final thought in mind, she plodded down the stairs feeling no need to silence her steps, and entered the living room which had a tranquil feel to the atmosphere making her feel soothed and ready to take in that break of hers.

Her parents were settled side by side on the loveseat watching the News. It so seemed to Hermione, her parents were taking in the peaceful state and were roaming in their own world rather than watching the buzzing News which illustrated many disasters and mishaps, as usual, Hermione thought annoyingly and settled herself to making tea in the quickly darkening kitchen.

As the kettle started with fresh new water that just been filled up, it happily steamed and hissed pleasantly until it was enough to boil the contents.

"Hermione how's your studying? Liking the new books?" Her mum questioned quietly as if not to wake up a baby. She hovered over the sink and started to rinse and wash the dishes.

"They're great!" Hermione started excitingly. And they really were, especially how now she could learn much more advanced topics in Year Six.

"I tried to read the whole Potions book today so I could fit in all the rest of the books for the other days, I got a quarter of it left." Feeling ridiculously proud of herself.

Her mum turned and smiled in return. "You should take a break once in a while, Hermione, Dear."

"I am now, I'm making tea-"

"No, honey, a real break, a proper one." she smiled again, helplessly. "One, with some friends." and with that she stopped the washing completely to set her full attention on her daughter.

"Mum, Harry's with his uncle and auntie and you know how they are. And Ron, Ron is well you know how big his family is, I'd be a burden, going there so often."

Hermione's mum patted her shoulder sympathetically and turned to the wall behind her where the calendar drooped from it's dented nail.

"A girl from Hogwarts called today, she said she knew you, Lavender Brown?"

"L-Lavender? Well I suppose it's how you define 'knowing someone'" Hermione grimaced and felt this was going to lead to nothing good.

"Well.." her mum begun, now feeling a little uneasy. "Well, she said she wants you and some other of your girl friends to have a sleep-over, and not one of those magical ones too" she demonstrated magic with flimsy hand gestures "they wanted a more traditional, a more muggle style. I find that more appropriate anyway." She looked like she was reminiscing her own past memories full of joys of sleepovers and friendship. Hermione hadn't had the heart to intercept or now argue against her mum's wishes.

"What do you say, Hermione? It would be great to see you more out there if you know what I mean. I just want you to have fun." A saddened expression swamped over her face but quickened to a more questioning look after noticing Hermione's pitiful glare.

"Well…" in a panicked tone figuring out an excuse that never came round, "I guess. there's no way out of this one. I'll go mum, if you want me to that bad." clasping onto her steaming, newly-made cup of tea with both hands.

"All I wish is for you to be happy and enjoy life." She gently kissed Hermione's forehead and went to rejoin her husband who was now flicking through the channels looking bored out of his mind.

Hermione knelt down to pick up Crookshanks, her ginger cat, who slumped lazily in her arms without battle. She padded around her room restlessly but felt no help in doing so. In the end, conceded to her neatly made bed and relaxed.

"Crookshanks, what should I do? I'm sure as anything that Lavender or any of the other girls dislike me, or at least have some sort of switch that flicks to that often." With a sigh that only ends with a deep slumber she gently placed her fluffed up cat at the end of her bed who almost instantly zoomed out of her room, but Hermione couldn't care less and leaned her head full of brown curls down to the cold pillows feeling more dampened than ever. The next morning she would have to file her clothes and belongings into her luggage, ready for the dreaded sleepover that following evening, Just grand.

Buzz Buzz

The annoying alarm clock harassed Hermione until she woke up with a prickly feeling in her head, thumping harder and harder as the clock buzzed faster and louder.

"Oh shut up!" She blindly felt through her bedside counter and thumped the alarm aggressively until it zipped it's infuriating mouth shut.

The drowsy girl made way to her mirror and scratched away the sleep from her eyes. Doing so, she had an attack of memories and thoughts from the previous evening.

"Oh God…" She paused to stare at her distraught figure and felt the need to hurl from all the worrying thoughts coming to her all at once.

At that moment, someone gently knocked on her bedroom door.

"C-come in!" she stuttered trying to pull herself back to the real world which was severely hard as she didn't want to face what was coming that evening.

Why would the girls want her to come over for a sleepover. Why now? Especially when they had the chance all the years back. Hermione wanted to cry, she knew she wasn't a wallflower but she certainly knew that hardly anyone likes her.

"Good Morning, had a good night sleep?" Her Dad edged into the room enough to close the door behind him and stand silly at the doorway.

"Not enough, I suppose I stressed all night on my studying" She yawned, imitating a person that spent their night worrying about a drastic exam the morning after.

It seemed her dad knew her all too well to be fooled at a amateur trick like that. "Everything fine, Hermione? Worried about the sleepover? It's okay you can tell me" and gave a timid grin that only can be shared with daughter and father.

"I don't know! I just want to fit in but I dread the fact that they maybe using me, what if they just wanted me to come over to so they can abuse me greatly." She didn't know why she was so open with her dad but she didn't mind, better than having all the worry curl into a bigger ball in the pit of her stomach. She heaved herself forward to her dad and he opened his arms to yield a enormous hug.

"Don't worry, you can call us whenever you want to get picked up and we'll come" he clicked his fingers, "Just like that" and smiled, squeezing his daughter harder.

"Thanks dad" She wiped her tears roughly against her sleeves and unwrapped herself from her father's arms.

The feeling of more confidence flowed within her body just enough to get dressed and eat breakfast, then later start the packing.

The breakfast consisted of eggs on toast with salad sprinkled on the side, she hungrily gulped it all in a matter of minutes and the cool orange juice followed in afterwards.

She rushed upstairs to her suitcase. The sooner the better, She thought with a drop of her heart.

Water droplets pelted the window from outside, representing the feeling Hermione got all day. After the essentials were packed, the now toughened girl plucked all sorts of bits and bobs from the bathroom that she may need that night. She felt discouraged on thinking that she wouldn't even reach that far but felt this was best, just in case.

Her mum slipped in the open door and looked at Hermione's reflection from behind her.

"I added a few things that could help you through the night. They're books" She added after Hermione still looked clueless.

"What kind?" She wasn't exactly into much of her mum's book collection but she thought anything would be better than being plunged into the girls' circle full of non-stop giggling.

"Classic Romance, like Pride and Prejudice. I know, I know you don't usually like that sort but your.. your older now Hermione and well I thought, you know, you'll be somewhat interested."

"yes, somewhat" Hermione doubted she would be interested but still felt a tug of gratefulness.

The day went in a scurry, while Hermione sat in her back garden waiting for the time to come. She was watching the sky that imitated a hot bubble bath. The sky was a washy look with mixtures of all sorts of different colours and the clouds represented the foam, shaping to the heart's desire.

Hermione was too wary to stay out in the wispy hot air of the outdoors any longer, hence went to the monster-looking house which was the only lit thing that was seen outside.

"Ready dear?" Her father was zipping up his coat at the same time her mum was blowing kisses wildly across the room to both of them.

"Yes" She spoke so nervously it just came out as an audible whisper. Lunging her luggage as if it was caging a wild tiger she moved restlessly to the awaiting car.


	3. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Harry Potter this is has been made by the great mind of J.K. Rowling_

Note from the Author: You may be aware that there's hardly any magic in the beginning of this Fanfic and that's all deliberate, more magic comes when Hermione returns to Hogwarts, it's kind of a metaphor of love, love = magic, yeah. It just goes to show that Hermione when she had no magic had no luck in love and felt hopeless in it but when finding the two and being accepted at Hogwarts she found it not in just one person but two.

Review = Love ;)

so enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

'_**Truth or Dare?'**_

The atmosphere was still tepid and dry while the sky grew darker more slowly than usual, in the summer's day. Hermione couldn't help but still feel little on edge about the seemingly dark sky, as that meant closer to the actual slumber part of the sleepover and was unsure how she acted when she slept; slightly subconscious on whether she snores noisily or whether she mumbles her deepest, darkest secrets. Not that she had any, at that moment.

Shadows of blurring trees zoomed past by the car making Hermione feel she was travelling through forwards in time, quickening her dread.

"Hermione, Hermione!" Her dad was unbuckling her seatbelt, looking at her oddly as she drooled uncaring into her clamped hands while heavily in deep sleep.

Hair more bushy than before, she awoken with a slight dreamy state, panicking for a moment as she was wildly plucking her memories attempting to remind herself about her surroundings.

"Dad!" She felt the facts slam her violently on the face, and jumped out of the car hoisting her belongings beside her dad who looked weather-beaten from the long car journey.

The two tiresome people walked towards the pearly white mansion, in which Hermione noted was quite small in comparison to others she had seen in the past, but still felt a stab of jealously in which was shaken off in almost minutes and was overcome by her fear when all the girls already arrived, were giggling horrendously in one of the large arched windows.

The door was glimmering black from the last specks of sunlight, the door handle glistening bright gold, quite a thing you want to avoid touching to not feel the stab of guilt of smearing it.

Hermione's dad reluctantly chimed the doorbell, echoing happily throughout the vast house.

He turned seeming unsurprised by his daughter's transfixed and worrisome facial expression.

He just said, "You'll be fine, dear" gave a gentle kiss on the cheek and turned smoothly to be greeted by a women caked with make-up giving a throwaway smile. Shaking hands only through politeness to Hermione's dad and allowed Hermione in with no help with handing the heap of luggage inside.

Lavender's mother grimaced and grimly mentioned that the other girls were in the living room, while trotting towards the kitchen to continue watching what sounded like the the wizard paro_dy of the muggl_e drama _Desperate Housewives_ which was known in this version as _Desperate Witches._

The rooms were glistening with gold and the walls plastered with white paint.

The giggling girls' heads bobbing in excitement were in a tight circle on the carpet with a spinning bottle as a centre piece.

Hesitating at the door frame, Hermione coughed to gain their attention that she arrived within the house.

Their heads spun at the double.

"Just in time, Granger." Lavender Brown beamed in a somewhat menacing way, which might of just been the case of the lighting in the snug living room.

After a second of seating next to Parvati Patil and a girl whom Lavender greeted as Lacy, her year younger cousin.

The pea green glass bottle spun around too many times to count with intervals of selfish laughter and typical asks on truths and common but nasty dares.

Time was ticking forcefully slow, the hands on Hermione's wristwatch looked as if it wasn't moving at all.

It was, at anxiety, Hermione Granger's turn at being questioned whether she wanted a risky dare or a terrifying truth.

Feeling slightly sentimental, she chose truth, blindly knowing what was in for her.

"Okay then!" Lacy piped up. All giggled and eyed Hermione as if this moment of truth would be an open window to stalk her with endless taunts and threats of her secrets.

Gulping and slightly fretting she nodded unsure.

"Who, _Miss_ Granger" saying miss more harshly then needed. "do you have a little crush on?" More laughter bounced around the room as if someone let loose a pack of hyenas. Growing brick red by the millisecond she felt this was the only thing she knew hardly about; Love.

The room was anticipating her answer maddeningly.  
>Hermione's ears tinkled red and thudding hard enough for her to hear. Which only reminded her of Ron Weasley.<p>

_Ronald, _she thought and her heart wrestled to flip, but almost spun a full 360 when a girl she never met in her life suddenly suggested.  
>"Harry Potter, maybe?" she saw the result she needed flickering on hermione's patchy face.<br>"i-i?" What was she going to say? Why would you tell the people you don't particularly like who you have a crush on? Surely for Hermione she wouldn't even tell the closest of friends, needless to say she _hadn't _told her closest friends; Ron and Harry. She wondered why she felt so puzzled, ignoring the side of her mind that made any sense to answer that.

"It's true then." Some other girl's voice came squeaking from the door frame that hadn't been greeted yet. Everyone's heads spun round in surprisement, whereas Lavender shook in rage.

"..HERE?" Raging towards the newly encountered girl she shook her violently and bore into her eyes.

"I wanted to _check _out the new gossip around here." She smiled venomously and shot a good greedy eye at Hermione and then back at her predator. The way she said 'check' almost sounded as if she was covering something.

Then Hermione saw, everyone saw, who exactly invaded their private sleepover.

Pansy Parkinson from Slytherin.

It was a deafening silence echoing the room. The building felt twice it's usual size and much more alien than previously.

Lavender's mother came wandering in with a warm sweet smile that seemed foreign to Hermione who only met her with a cold hearted grin, it then hit her that, after Lavender's mother smiled all around missing out herself, that she was targeted as an abominate.

"Any trouble, deary?" she jostled through the packed hallway mounted with luggages and came beside the trespasser.

"yes, mum" Lavender hissed in Pansy's mousy face. "what is this-this person doing here?"

Giving a gracious smile she explained back "Why, I thought this _polite _young lady was invited." She emphasized _polite_ towards Lavender whom obviously had some lack of it.

Hermione was abashed by this sudden news but at the same moment relieved to squirm out of telling her secrets to all the girls, in which she hadn't even admitted to herself.

Lacy strode beside Lavender like a storm sweeping up houses and trees. Broadening her shoulders ready to defend her cousin just through her presence being there.

"No! I did not invite _her_, she must go. NOW." the words seemed final but her mother just kept on going.

"My, my young lady, watch your tone." swaying her finger viciously in the air. "Pansy, has been telling me how long of a journey it took her to get here, it would be too late and dangerous now to get a road trip home even with magic!" The room seemed as if it was buzzing with the statement that no one would like to accept to take in.

"I do not care if she gets hurt on the way, she must leave at once!" Reddening, the mother's daughter knew no other comebacks and almost felt in need to go barging up the creaking stairs and slam her darn door in her mother's snooty face. It would of happened if it weren't the fact she needed to keep her dignity straight in front of her judgemental friends.

"Lavender Brown, you need to learn some respect, manners and to stop talking in such a rash tone! Now allow this girl to join your silly muggle party or it's no more parties at all, got it?" No one looked at Lavender nor her mother in the eye it seemed too personal of a moment to do such a thing.

Without anyone truly knowing but through pure initiative, Lavender agreed to her mother's requests.

Pansy, imperious and high on her horse, sat down next to Lavender's empty spot and smiled pungently towards everyone's annoyed faces. The room after the argument seemed more cold in temperature and everyone seemed less cheerful. Lavender and lacy sat down recklessly with ashen, hard faces.

"Right then, girls what's say we continue Hermione's turn?" No one really wanted to obey the bothersome Slytherin girl but needless they still craved the answer.

Sickened by the reminder, it felt that within every corner of the room there were pairs of beady eyes greedily wanting to torture the answer out of Hermione through stares alone.

"M-must I answer? I'm sure the other girls' lives are much more amusing than my own." She felt hopeful but still felt that it was no use.

Her mind sizzling with two names she knew deep down has passionate feelings towards but wasn't up for saying so herself let alone out loud, why? Well it almost felt forbidden, the way she knew them for so long.

Clocks ticking, eyes straining and pestering her on. She felt the answer almost bulging out of her throat.

"I- I like..."

"Girls!" A man's voice hollowed throughout the household and almost abruptly entered the room louder than everywhere else.

The man was a masculine guy with a broad bushy moustache.

"Time for bed, all of you." He briskly said and stormed off. Everyone got to their feet in disappointment except for Hermione who almost flew to the hallway. No one wanted to argue against Lavender's patronising father so settled without pestering poor Hermione throughout the whole of the night. Leaving her in solitude, just the way she needed it.

It was a long rectangular bedroom, they all had to sleep in, making it such a surprise that Lavender Brown has it all to herself on other nights.

No cobwebs in sight, it seemed that the entire room was just dusted and varnished just moments ago. The room had violet purple paint splattered evenly on it's walls, cream furniture with golden frames. Even the door frame was sprinkled to a blinding gold varnish.

Lavender bounced onto her puffy four poster bed looking warm and cuddly already without it's covers. In contrast, the other tiresome girls poured out their sleeping bags on the fluffy carpet and started to hassle out their clothes for the night.

While the room was occupied with busybodies, Hermione looked around almost as if searching for another neglected friend who might be whimpering in the corner the same way she felt inside. She found no such thing but clearly the opposite, everyone else engaging in conversation or helping one and another with their sleeping bags, all except Hermione, of course.

She slumped into the nearest bathroom and once again was bedazzled from the glistening white tiled walls and the spotlights shaping a heart coming from above the mirror.

Brushing her teeth drowsily, all to ignore the outside of the room and it's inhabitants. She came to an abrupt pause with terrifying thoughts in her mind. _No, it's just the light, I did not just see something moving behind me in the shower. _She tried to convince herself but it just made her paranoia much more convincing.

Gulping ever so slightly almost spewing the remainder of the toothpaste, Hermione Jean Granger, slowly circled round to face the forbidding shower that always seem to hide a dangerous mass murderer in films.

Hermione didn't think herself as the bravest of all, nor the most cowardice but to be in Gryffindor you must be brave enough to conquer that nagging of instincts in the back of your own mind, on contrary, She certainly felt that was her main weak spot.

The moon was shining behind the shower curtains making a distorted silhouette. Hermione was shaking violently inches from grabbing the glossy material that may soon be splattered with her own ruby red blood.

_Huff, huff_

That wasn't her own drastic breathing, no, she was keeping in her breath to jump into a surprise attack if it were to be such a murderer or even if it were to be a boggart!

"S-stop...stay...away." It was a girl's voice, scared and frightened.

Hermione threw open the remainder of the curtains and noticed a small girl sprawled up in a little ball, laying inside the bathtub.

Momentarily puzzled she regained her senses and reached out a hand to aid the girl but the girl just attempted to shake her head with much effort without banging it to the side of the hard tub.

"W-what's your name?" Hermione asked the girl with an unsurprising dry throat.

"Vivian, Vivian Spinnell."

"And you are invited to this party I presume? I didn't see you downstairs with the others.."

"ye-s I am invited I was just scared if they asked me to do a serious dare, so I made up an excuse to go to the bathroom and well I never came back down."

"Well! You could of coughed or something, you frightened the daylights out of me! And Merlin's beard! You're drenched, what have you been doing?" She stepped back to evaluate the scene, tipping her head to the side and into a thoughtful posture.

"I-well, someone came in with cropped black hair and a mousy face, she err turned the tap on while I was asleep which obviously woke me up with a bit of a start she grinned at me and ran off." She whimpered slightly while attempting to get up. She must have been there for quite some time.

"Vivian" Hermione approached towards her and pulled her gently up and out of the tub, she started to dry her as much as she could from the nearest towel. "Don't worry, your not the only outsider in this here party, I am" grinning slightly sadly she started to embrace the girl that looked the same age as herself and patted her on the shoulder to tell her to get up on her feet.

The clocks were drawling to tick 12, the little girl named Vivian and the intellectual Hermione were still awake staring at the spiky ceiling.

Hermione at that moment remembered that her mother packed books in her bag and she, herself packed her wand in case of emergency. She included that being bored in an annoying stranger's home can be counted as an emergency.

"Vee" Hermione whispered the nickname; Vivian allowed her to say.

"Yes?" she questioned back in a small squeaky tone.

"Have you got your wand with you?" Then she had a sudden theory. What if Vivian wasn't a Witch?

Vee started to mount through her luggage quietly as possible and sprung out a long crooked stick.

"Yes" she hissed back and Hermione pulled out a sigh which Vee thought as relief to her having her wand.

"Well, I got some 'lovely-dovely' romance novels if you want to read?" She then thought that Vee being a witch might not of heard of any of the muggle titles.

"okay!" and she tugged onto one of the five books which were rested on Hermione's lap. Her theory being right, Vivian looked at the book questionably.

"I never heard of this title" she pointed the book at Hermione.

"That's because they're muggle books, give them a try" She gently shoved the book back.

"interesting..." Vivian flipped through the book's thin pages, with her nose so close it was a wonder how it didn't get sliced off.

Hermione gave _Pride and Prejudice_ a try, sceptical at first especially looking at it's cover she cross-eyed read through the pages. By the near end she was hooked and it only took her two hours.

Eyes swelled red and blurry she tossed the novel with a whisper "Nox" to her wand and placed that beside her toes and slumped into a good position for sleep.

That night she had a dream that she was Elizabeth Bennet, the main character who Mr. Darcy likes. Darcy was portrayed by Harry and Colonel Fitzwilliam as Ron. She didn't know why Ron was that character but she presumed it was because they had a slight thing in the book and was really close at one point.

Her dream continued with her swimming with confusing thoughts on who she'd liked better and whom in the end she would marry. The whole dream was confusing for her, she was so confused on who she liked best she had a slight tightening in her guts with the feeling she could never get out of the horrid dream at all.


End file.
